Day Three Mark 7:24-37
24 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. 25 Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, 26 and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.
Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, 27 Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
28 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”
29 “Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.
31 Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. 32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.
33 Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. 34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” 35 Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!
36 Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37 They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” – Mark 7:24-37 (NLT)
Discover
1. What does Jesus’ response to the Gentile woman in verse 27 show about the priorities of His ministry? (See this article for help.)
2. How does her answer demonstrate both faith and humility?
3. Why do you think Jesus sighed according to verse 34?
Respond
Just as He did with the parables, Jesus offered the woman a door to walk through with His statement in verse 27. She walked through with flying colors. Instead of arguing with Jesus about her place as a Gentile (a dog), she accepted her position humbly, acknowledging even the “leftovers” of Jesus were enough to heal her daughter. This entire chapter reveals a God who came to break down the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles, healthy and sick, clean and unclean. Spend a few minutes now asking God to reveal any biases you may harbor toward a person or group of people simply because they're different from you. Find a way to serve them today.
For Further Reading: Read these words written after Jesus' death and resurrection in light of Mark 7.
*TPCC does not necessarily endorse all For Further Reading/Learning sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.